Ancient Egyptian Science and Medicine By: Emily Ehrlich, Sara Baran, and Gabbi Stobb

Introduction On top of the Ancient Egyptians’ developments in writing, they made advances in fields of astronomy, mathematics, and medicine. Among citizens of the ancient world, Egypt was known as a land of great and highly valued learning.

Keeping Track of Time Since the Egyptians were agricultural people, they had to be capable of predicting when the Nile River would flood. Astronomers, scientists who study stars and other objects in the sky, noticed that the Nile began to rise rapidly at about the same time that they were able to see Sirius. Sirius, otherwise known as the dog star, could be seen in the sky shortly before sunrise. Astronomers worked out the approximate time between the appearances of Sirius. They found that it came to approximately three hundred sixty-five days, so it became the length of their year.

Mathematics The Egyptians used basic mathematics in finding solutions to conflicts they faced every day. They could add, subtract, multiply, and divide. The Egyptians utilized simple fractions as well. Math helped them measure stone in order for it to be cut to the proper size to build pyramids. Geometry was used to measure area so the Egyptians could figure out the quantity of taxes for a plot of land.

Medicine Religion and medicine went hand in hand in ancient Egypt. Doctors were specially trained priests that used religious practices and their knowledge of diseases to attempt to heal the ill. Supposedly, because of their work on mummies, the ancient Egyptians knew a great deal of information about the body. By studying the human body, they learned how to give surgery. The set broken bones, and treated many slight injuries.

Medicine (continued) The Egyptians understood the concept of herbalism. Herbalism is the practice of composing medicines from plants. The natural remedies were used to help ease common, everyday sicknesses such as headaches and stomachaches. At home, mothers prepared their own remedies, or cures, to reduce their children’s fevers. The Egyptians wrote a lot of their medical knowledge down on papyrus, which the ancient Greeks and Romans used centuries later.

Presentation And Learned We Hope You Enjoyed Our Presentation And Learned A Lot!